Flying aboard the Lockheed Constellation part 1

[pretjim2011]

Wonderful to fly in and very comfortable. As a young lad, I was even allowed to fly one for 5 minutes over the Mediterranean - surprisingly heavy controls, pilots must have needed muscles as well as brains back then. When you flew with KLM you were given souvenir gifts of silver (plated!) key rings, wine bottle stoppers and, believe it or not, small plated double-bladed penknives embossed with the KLM logo! Obviously no fear of terrorists back in the good old days of flying!

[reneecalling]

I wonder if airlines have their planes under the same rigid standards today?

[Blanchefort2]

Total coolness. I remember my first flight as a nine year old way back in 1973. In economy claas we could choose between a fishmeal and a meatmeal for lunch. Nowadays they sell you some instant soup and a dry sandwich.

[mlynch001]

Kelly Johnson was a genius!

[MrRonnieG]

All one needs to do is look at the circumstances surrounding AA191 to know that forklifts around airplanes is not a good idea.

[johneddy98033]

@flygweilo, did BOAC operation the Constellation? If so, which versions did they use?

[dpvisser]

So nice to see a video of flying back in the hey-day, when it was a pleasure and a privilege to fly. I still cringe when I get on a plane and I see how people dress: overly baggy clothing that is hanging on their knees, men in women's lingerie, scruffy shorts and dirty sandals. I'm glad I was still able to take part in those days as a young child. Now...I don't care which airline you are with, you are treated as livestock and all you want to do is get the hell off the plane safely.

[spacegeneral]

I am blessed to have worked on and crewed abourd the Kansas City Connie, 6937c, and have served a as a tour guide there, yes, imagination and I slide rule, this is a good as it gets!

[barthoedemaker]

As a mechanic this makes me really sad, cause this kind of engine rebuilds can't be afforded anymore today, it's all import from china or taiwan. The cheap import competition kills homeland labour and expertise.

[BillyRosinet]

Sound isn't so hot. Can barely hear anything.

[sybermen]

Es interesante ver lo elegante de los pasajeros y el mantenimiento que se daba a estos bellos aviones era todo un acontimiento volar

[hurricane1587]

However, very labor intensive. Engine teardown after 1,500 hours. Jets get maintenance after 30,000 to 40,000 hours. 

[Gaygarious]

"Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end..."

[Nationsnotregimes]

2010 does any one think there is 10% of traind men avaiiable to today to that work ?

[ceemosp]

*sighs* TWA, PanAm, Swissair, Sabena...how I miss them. I remember the days when their 707s were a daily sight at all international airports.

I am glad that at least a few names are still to be seen, such as Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Iberia or BA. I wonder when the next of these names will vanish...

[barthoedemaker]

4 engines replaced after every 1300 flying hours!

[RomelioSanzz]

They seem a autoparts not plane parts. A totally old fashioned techniques.

[barthoedemaker]

Yeah it is. I still enjoy the flying in today's jet engines era, but i'd love to experience a plane like this.

I feel sad people see it like a busdrive today. They forget all the technology needed to get you up in the sky.

[RomelioSanzz]

@barthoedemaker I think it could be interesting, I flew twice in a Antonov An-32 across the Andes, it was my only fliying experience, really remarkable.

[FlightSimTutorials]

My how that era of aviation has changed..........Flights used to be an occasion now it is no more irregular for some people than getting on a bus.

[satweavers]

Fabric covered surfaces on a Connie? I had no idea. Great video!

[ThunderAppeal]

'The weight of a paper match box will make the propeller revolve.' Heh. All of this was back when the people working in facilities like this had just come back from the war and were well trained in their craft. They also had pride in their jobs, makes me wonder what happened in the decades that followed. I dont think it was any single factor.

[jfkman91]

fantastic stuff

[lsnows]

The Connie sure was a beauty of a plane. I especially like it in the Varig Airlines colors.

[jscharpf]

Thanks for posting!

[itowdocproject]

Hi, this is a wonderful film!!!

Such a great "Blast from the past". It is amazing how much these old films really show a piece of history, even though that isn't what they were originally made for. Makes you wonder about the "commercials" of today.

[linowilly]

I got to tour one at the Charlotte NC airport back in '98. What a great airplane.

[fernfeyes]

I saw a few of these at the Davis Monthan Air Force base boneyard in 1978..beautiful airplane.

[xeasternxz]

Another great vid from Bomberguy, thanks.

[Enetole]

I remeber back in the mid 70's an Air France Connie parked many years at the main Peruvian airport. Always wondered what kind of severe failure she had to keep her so far from its home at France.

[kasley26]

The Constellation has got to be the most beautifully designed passenger plane ever.

[TerminatorFRA]

And it was the best aircraft engineer who designed it like the P38, U2 and the SR71. Thanks Kelly Johnson :D

[KLM777300er]

didnt lockheed help with the F- 35?

[miguelmouta]

Nice video, very nice plane indeed ! But I cant see any video on YT about her cousin, Lockheed Beechcraft baby.

[TheUnknowKING]

that time no blacks were aloud in planes!

[tunkunrunk]

blacks were lucky ,that plane crashed a lot , thanks to segregation , they evoided an horrible death

[TheUnknowKING]

Lol Good piont

[Umbra33]

No they weren't aloud, they had to be really quiet, as you should be!

[gata0705]

Great Video, Gina

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

I miss the way things used to be.

Every part of life was better years ago.

I want to go back in time.

George Vreeland Hill

[divisioneight]

What a difference then: folks flew dressed respectably, not in their pajamas. Folks had leg room, and did not have to have their knees jammed for three hours in "coach". The food was a meal served to you, not a bag of chips tossed to you across two seats. The folks acted in a courteous and decent manner, not like overgrown children with earphones turned up to an annoying buzz. There was conversation in lieu of complaining and the flight there was the event, not merely the way to get there.

[manhoot]

I agree. Goes to show how spoiled and demanding we are today. Now I see the flip flop crowd buzzing away on their blackberries, bitching, looking like they just rolled out of bed. Some stink. Others are so "put out" with a gee whiz attitude towards a wondrous event.

Suffice it to say, I don't enjoy flying not because of the plane, but because of the people.

[CaptainAndrew1991]

@divisioneight Sounds like I missed the good days.

[barthoedemaker]

@divisioneight yeah to bad, times have changed.........

[flygweilo]

@divisioneight It was unquestionably more graceful flying back then, but it was also (in adjusted terms) much, MUCH more expensive! It meant that only those who were well off could afford to fly.

So, flying as an airline passenger was more enjoyable, but it was out of reach for the many.

Swings and roundabouts, I guess ...

My own father was a Captain for BOAC, and Fleet Superintendent of the Constellation Fleet for a few years - an aeroplane he loved.

[ImperialRetrovision]

@divisioneight I am 800 years old and yes in those days everyone dressed up in suits and dresses if not formal wear. Meals were generally first class gourmet, and all the drinks were free. The seats were so big and there was so much legroom that you could lay completely flat and fall asleep. When you awaken, a very sexy stewardess would be leaning over you, asking if you need any buckets of cash or bourbon. People were so courteous that even the hijackers said "please" and "thank you."

[MerleOberon]

@ImperialRetrovision Yes, all true, there weren't even bathrooms then, because no one needed them....

[dutchgoing]

@divisioneight And hardly anybody could afford to fly.

[pretjim2011]

@dutchgoing

Very true. Back in the 1950's a return ticket from Europe to Australia was the price of a 3-bedroom house! Jet powered aircraft were so much more efficient that in the 1960s there was a massive explosion(no pun intended) of package tours from the UK to the Mediterranean. The prices were so low that it was cheaper to go for 2 weeks in Spain all inclusive, than a week in Blackpool. Made international travel a no-brainer after that. Now a holiday abroad is considered the norm in the UK

[miguelmouta]

UNESCO should consider this plane, as well as  the DC-3, as Patrimonies of Mankind.

[ridedirtba]

This was at an overhaul base in Kansas Ctiy,Mo that's so cool it happened practically in my back yard.

[canuckrcp]

Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful! Thank You!! A quick question - were all turbo-props (such as the DC6/DC7) so maintenance intensive, or was this something peculiar to the Constellation?

[jonb0002]

none of them were turboprops - all piston engines !!

[canuckrcp]

DOH! Sorry - My Bad! as if I didn't know the difference! Thanks for catching that.. What I meant to ask was, were all radial pistons as maintenance intensive as what was shown on the video, or was this a routine peculiar to the Connie?

[jonb0002]

The pratt and witney engines on most of the american designed aircraft) were serviced the same way I`m not a great authority on this though I did grow up thro the radial piston engined era. Some of the more exotic designs were even more complex than these were. All were stripped down and examined/serviced/ parts replaced after a certain number of hours run - answer to your question "yes" they were - all large multi piston engined aircraft were.

[harpsinth]

Man...your movies are so fantastic!

This is TRUE aeronautical culture and history! thank you very much for posting

one more A ++++++++++ video.

[shaquo890]

man..only if airlines where dedicated into safety like this today....there would be almost NO deaths in aircraft involved in mecahnical failure because there would be NO mechanical failure

[rockyPants4000]

Maybe, but there are very few deaths due to mechanical failure anyway - it's actually quite rare. The vast majority of airliner deaths are from weather or human error.

[barthoedemaker]

@shaquo890 right !!

[John0619]

Wow, the world advanced quite quickly... The 747-400 today doesn't require that much maintanance, does it?

[ragemanchoo82]

So were the Super Constellation's overall dimensions the same as the Constellation's?

[workforcetrust]

A good documentary! Thank you.

[peteryoutube]

Thanks for the video. My dad flew for Lockheed and I remember going in on Saturdays as a kid and doing engine runs.

[crybabygirl3]

Where do you get all the old film bomberguy?

[FsxAv8r91]

he is god :-)

[granskare]

it was nice to see the interior. I'd ridden on an air force c121 which was a bit more spartan and seating facing the back.

:)

[ringofstarrs]

I love you for posting this!

[hudson501]

I have a video tape recording of the this TWA promotional film with its original soundtrack. In the original, the actual TWA pilot, complete with his apparent "Missouri accent" narrates this movie. Also, the original movie has a few scenes that this later generic version left out.

[mbazell]

This film brings great credit to LOCKHEED and how thorough and customer oriented the airline industry was back in the 50's.

[RMcSlash]

Pretty spooky, the Grand Canyon reference, pilots efforts to give passengers a great view, may well have caused the TWA united mid air collision over Canyon a few years later.

[artieroo]

I was thinking of the same as I watched that part. I think they weren't imagining such a thing would ever happen, and that's why they stress the panoramic view, that back in the time, was yet another reason to fly that route.

Leaving that apart, it's a very nice video, showing how proud TWA was of their gracile Connies and the service onboard and around them.

Another time. :b

[oisiaa]

Fabulous Video! The Connie is such a beautiful aircraft.

[spencnaz]

This should show younger generations what you can build with a slide rule and maintain with good training.

NO computers required!

The Connie was and will continue to be a classic design.

[rgbvideo7]

Right! Modern computers should not be considered a shortcut to good, well planned design and maintenance. Spell checkers are no excuse to not learning how to spell in the first place. Think about it! etc, etc, etc, ad infinitum...

[rockyPants4000]

Actually, to be accurate about it, a slide rule IS a computer. It's simply analog instead of digital. And without slide rules, these aircraft wouldn't have gotten designed either.

So there's no penalty or disadvantage to using a computer, these guys used them too!

[stetsoncutie]

Brilliant, I really enjoyed this, The connie is a lovely lookong plane. Cant believe the intensive maintenance!

[stevenewman01]

They looked especially good in the white and red TWA paint scheme

[flysobo737]

that is not a lockheed super constellation it is an erlier lockheed constellation

[billyguns2]

Those Connies were the most beautiful airplanes ever built; flying in them was a true adventure.  This is a fabulous clip; thanks so much for posting this.

[daltonagre]

My father flow in Constellation here in Brazil, in 1950 and 1960 decade.

[reyes300]

The best connie video ever!!!!!

[JetRanger0007]

SEE MY VIDEO ON THE CONSTELLATION

[ironbird77]

Escellent video! The Lockheed Connie is one of the most beautiful aircrafts ever made! Thanks for this post!

[lostinthetriangle]

I enjoyed this a lot! Really nice video, thanks for sharing.

[rileysteve]

Correction!  Oops---speaking of irregularities----in the previous comment I made a "typo", should read Jan. 1962 for the date TWA sold the aircraft!

[rileysteve]

Great film. Very few irregularities---rare for a film of this vintage.

This is NOT a "Super" Constellation!

TWA took delivery of this Model 049 Constellation on January 16, 1946.

(Ship #504, Reg.#N86504)"Star of France".

After over 17 years service with TWA was sold Jan.1963.

Sadly, crashed on approach to Tahoe Valley Airport (TVL) Lake Tahoe, California January 3, 1964, while operated by Paradise Airlines.

[fordroad]

This Up-load is 5 stars all the way simpely great.

We will never see their numbers or times again.

I remember QANTAS in Australia flying those babies to England. GREAT.

[cosmochest]

fantastic

[mellotrongirl]

Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic! Connies are such great birds--how many airlines these days disassemble and reassemble the whole plane with such diligence at such timed intervals? Well, I guess those were back in the days when they really needed to do that a bit more often...

[Fleetwing1627]

mellotrongirl, aircraft even today undergo rigorous inspections at specified intervals. There are A, B, C, and D checks, and a D check is like rebuilding an aircraft to new standards. It's so thorough that sometimes older planes are sold or mothballed if they're not worth the time and expense of a D check.

[mellotrongirl]

That's great to know, Fleetwing1627. I was wondering...do the airlines set forth their own criteria and do the checks in their own hangars, or do they fly them into Airbus Industrie or Boeing or where ever for the overhaul? Is this done after so many flying hours or take-off/landings, or a combination of both? Do federal mandates from the countries they fly out of override/oversee this criteria?

[cpdrj]

WOW GREAT TKS FOR SHARING

[flyboy172r]

Fantastic video!!! This is the most interesting thing I have seen for a while!!

[oneaokguy]

Great Video, thanks for posting

[CaptainB737]

Damn, nice vid!!